Fishing Hartley Lake in Chippewa County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Hartley Lake in the Chippewa County part of Michigan. It sits at 623 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Chippewa County list holds plenty of bigger water. Thessalon lies 25 miles from the water. Cheboygan follows at 35 miles, then Saint Ignace at 39 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hartley Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, bloater and lake whitefish. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Hartley Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 17°F to 66°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That shapes the year on Hartley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Part of this sits inside or beside James V. Foster Hartley Lake Nature Preserve, so read the notices. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Brown Lake is 1.9 miles off. Treat Hartley Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.